Since the birth of electronic mail, many changes have taken place in its core technology. Aside from improved reliability and ease of use, countless users worldwide now enjoy indispensable features like file attachment support and batch sending. However, despite these developments, many email providers today are still missing various core functions, most notably, email tracking. As such, Gmail, the world’s leading electronic mail service, is still yet to make “read receipts” or open/read status of messages available to all of its users. Thankfully, there is also a slew of excellent extensions and software available to fill this shortcoming. Nevertheless, in this article, we’d listed the ten best email tracking software for Gmail, so please read on.
What is Email Tracking?
Although the term email tracking might suggest knowing whether an email has been successfully delivered or not, it’s actually about open and read status. In detail, email tracking is a feature that allows a sender to learn if a recipient has viewed the message or the email is still unopened in the inbox.
Currently, there are two ways that users can access this functionality: through an email provider’s built-in option or by using third-party software. In the former, tracking is typically achievable by implementing algorithms that compare user and message IDs and then communicating with servers. On the other hand, a 3rd-party tool attaches an invisible or tiny image to an email and then requests the server to get the file once the recipient views the message. In turn, the tracking software would then display or update the open/read status for the sender.
The Best Email Tracking Software for Gmail
1. Mailtrack
Mailtrack is one of the most popular available Chrome extensions for Gmail, and for good reasons. Since 2013, it has become the go-to email tracker that provides users with the essential functions and offers advanced features. In the process, after installation, it will track the open and read counts of emails, either individual or sent by batch. Aside from emails in general, it can also calculate link clicks and even generate PDF certificates for message delivery proofs. On top of these things, Mailtrack has excellent tracking alerts and daily reports and is available to anyone for free.
2. Right Inbox
Right Inbox is a powerful Chrome extension that adds overlays to the Gmail web client. As such, in the inbox view, it shows a clickable indicator that will display a pop-up of clicked links and opened emails statistics. Unlike other software, it emphasizes quick actions, making it much easier to browse and analyze hundreds of emails. Moreover, Right Inbox provides additional functions such as the “Send Later” message scheduler with multiple signature support, templates, GIF attachments, reminders, and more. All in all, it is excellent for those wanting to track emails but doesn’t need the extra features that other tools have.
3. Snov.io Unlimited Email Tracker
Snov.io’s Unlimited Email Tracker is a well-designed and developed software for Gmail. In contrast to similar tools in the market, it uses soft colors and minimal indicators to add function but avoid clutter. Additionally, to access the settings, one can easily click the icon on the Chrome menu bar to toggle email accounts and options. When composing emails, it doesn’t attach watermarks or Snov.io signatures, so messages stay professional and personal. Lastly, the complete email statistics history feature should help marketers in analyzing and measuring campaign effectiveness.
4. Yesware
Yesware is a sales engagement tool that offers a robust email tracking feature for Outlook and Gmail. To install, one will only have to add the extension to Chrome or any Chromium-based browser and then continue using the Gmail website as it is. After that, Yesware will show a pop-up for an email containing details like view status, clicked links, and even viewed files. When it’s time to examine sent messages, its “Presentation Report” function shows a bird’s-eye view of a particular or all emails’ performances. Apart from that, the tool can sort data by date and display the entire engagement history of emails.
5. SendPulse
SendPulse takes email tracking to the next level. Instead of only offering data about email reads and opens, it goes beyond and calculates the newsletter unsubscribe rate, sending errors, and other related factors. In detail, it can display the unique clicks for all attached links, the number of opened emails grouped by location, and the browser/device used to view a particular message. Most importantly, SendPulse intuitively presents such things using graphs or sections, as well as suggestive colors for better readability.
6. Orangedox Email Tracking for Gmail
Apart from emails in general, there are also instances where tracking an attached file can be helpful. However, up until the birth of Orangedox, doing such a thing was almost impossible. Regardless, today, Orangedox provides any Gmail user the ability to know if a recipient has downloaded a file or opened a document. In the process, one will only have to click the modified file attachment icon in Gmail’s compose window and then select the desired file to send. After that, the extension will display the attachment’s view status, viewing duration of each page, the recipient’s reading progress, and the open timestamp.
7. Mixmax
Mixmax, a popular sales engagement platform, also prides itself on precise and real-time email tracking capabilities. As such, after email transmission, it will immediately update the open status whenever changes are detected. However, despite the speed, it will still show exact and in-depth details, including who exactly reads the emails, the most viewed part of a message, and the accumulated engagement data over time. Aside from that, similar to Orangedox, Mixmax can show file attachment statistics but with less in-depth information.
8. Vocus.io
Vocus.io is a Gmail add-on that works with Google Workspace accounts. In action, one can choose what tracking and extra options to enable for a message before sending it right in Gmail’s compose window. After that, users will have to view Vocus.io’s dashboard in a separate browser tab. Moreover, the dashboard displays email statistics, link click counter, and archived reports of previous campaigns. Overall, it’s a simple yet fully-functional email tracking tool that integrates well with CRMs and countless external services.
9. Saleshandy Email Tracking for Gmail
Saleshandy’s tool is an unbelievably free email tracking service for Gmail. Similar to premium alternatives, it offers detailed email and link tracking that supports Gmail’s AI-powered inbox categorization. Additionally, it has an excellent desktop notification function for real-time alerts and faster response times.
Besides that, when handling a busy inbox and working in a team, Saleshandy can identify the most important emails and generate reports of each member’s campaign performance.
10. Bananatag Email Tracking
While marketers typically prefer feature-packed software, there are still others who only need a straightforward email tracking tool. In this case, Bananatag would be the best choice for such users. As such, unlike most recommended options, Bananatag has only three core functions: email tracking, message scheduler, and campaign dashboard. On the dashboard, one can view several data, particularly the number of tracked emails, unique opens and clicks, and engagement overview presented in a line graph.
Why Should You Track Your Email?
Even though email tracking may not always be a necessary feature for casual users, there are still cases where this option can be beneficial. As an example, with it, one can decide whether a follow-up email is a good idea or excessive, especially when applying for a job or communicating with an employer.
Regarding marketers or other professionals who deal with emails regularly, tracking is a function that can make the job easier. As such, using the frequency of opened emails, it’s possible to learn the contacts that are likely interested in an endorsed product/service but hesitant to reply. Also, one can save time and be more productive by focusing on such individuals and putting those who ignore promotional messages into a lesser priority group. Lastly, for anyone who manages the communications of a company or organization, tracking can help in avoiding repetitive emails and improving follow-up timings.
Track Emails with Boxysuite in Mac
While browser extensions and add-ons may work, there are still advantages in using a dedicated app for tracking emails and using Gmail. On Macs, the best representation of this is Boxysuite. Unlike using the service on Chrome, Boxysuite provides a clean, focused, and productive environment for managing emails. Additionally, as the MailTrack extension works inside it out of the box, users can easily track emails without installing extra software.
Alternatively, Boxysuite also makes it possible to learn if a sender used 3rd-party software to track a message in the inbox. In the process, it will look for any “tracking pixel” in the email body, identify its URL, and then match it to a database to find out the used tracking tool. On the user’s end, when viewing a tracked email, the interface will show a CCTV icon along with a confirming text upon hovering. Nevertheless, undoubtedly, this feature should be of great help to those who don’t want their email activity monitored. Also, as we’re passionate about empowering users and protecting their privacy, this update means so much to us.
Furthermore, as Boxysuite is the first and only native macOS Gmail app, users can enjoy various features that are unavailable to extensions and web wrappers. It also works with other Google services, namely Keep, Calendar, and Contacts, and Google Workspace accounts, by pressing the “+” button on the right side of the interface.
Final Words
Today, email is still one of the primary communication channels globally, and Gmail remains the top email provider among countless competitors. Accordingly, it’s best to familiarize and use all of the features of these technologies as much as possible. Yet, it’s also wise to look for solutions and alternatives for any missing function or shortcoming. In particular, any user can quickly solve the lack of “read receipts” or email tracking in Gmail using 3rd-party tools. However, for anyone who doesn’t have an idea where to start, the listed ten Gmail tracking software above should be a great start.
